The BBS Young Investigator Award was introduced in 2002 to celebrate an outstanding contribution in any area of biophysics made by a young researcher in the UK and Ireland. In 2020, the award was renamed The BBS Louise Johnson Early Career Award in recognition of Professor Dame Louise Johnson DBE FRS (BBS Honorary Member 2004) as an outstanding biophysicist and mentor of others, especially in the early stages of their careers.
Frequency of award: The award will be made every two years at the BBS biennial meeting or another BBS meeting.
Condition of award: The recipient must present a plenary lecture, preferably at the next BBS biennial meeting, but possibly at another BBS meeting within a year of the award.
Value of award: The recipient will receive £1000 and a medal to commemorate the event. In addition, reasonable travel costs, accommodation and registration to attend the BBS biennial meeting at which the award is made, will be paid.
Criteria and eligibility: The award will recognise substantial contributions to Biophysics or Biophysical Methods by a BBS member whose recent work has been carried out in the UK or Ireland. Neglecting any career breaks, the recipient must have completed their PhD within 10 years of 1st January of the year in which the award is made. Nominees should typically be an author of at least 10 papers in peer-reviewed journals, being corresponding author for at least one of these. Nominees who are eligible for the BBS Louise Johnson Early Career Award, are ineligible for the BBS Kendrew Doctoral Thesis Prize or the Sosei Heptares Prize for Biophysics in the same year.
Nominations: Nominations can be made by any individual or institution by the deadline posted on the BBS web site, which will normally be at least 6 months before the next BBS biennial meeting.
Award process: Nominations should be sent, in response to a call, to the Secretary of the BBS (bbs@britishbiophysics.org) – the CV of the nominee (6 sides of A4, maximum) and letter of recommendation from the nominator are required. The award recipient will be selected by a panel drawn from the BBS Committee by its serving Chair.
